Looking for applicants! The second year of MOST, the Bridge for Balkan Music project is about to begin, supporting Balkan world musicians, managers, festivals and clubs.

The Balkans are a vibrant scene of world music that are often underrepresented in the global music market. MOST, the Bridge for Balkan music is a holistic project that aims to change that. Focusing on a scope region of 9 countries, and run by a consortium of 9 partners located all around Europe, MOST supports Balkan world musicians, young managers, festivals and music venues. Calls are now open for Balkan music industry people and for venues and festivals from all over Europe!

What Does MOST Offer?

We offer ample opportunities for artists, managers, bookers and festival organizers. All participants receive training and mentoring tailored to their areas of expertise. 

• Selected musicians will get a chance to play at international stages of Europe such as EXIT Festival and Budapest Ritmo. This year we have an eye for world music that is spiritually inspired, connecting the listener to nature and mindfulness through music. Musicians also receive financial support for building a new portfolio or shooting music videos, and to attend WOMEX. 
• Young managers, apart from training and mentoring, may choose to apply to traineeships at European world music hubs such as Piranha Arts, Hangvető, or others. 
• Festival exchange programme participants will be paired up (one Balkan festival with one from elsewhere in Europe), and they receive funding for mutual meetups and artists exchanges.

What To Know About MOST?

MOST means “bridge” in many Slavic languages. This bridge-building project has one key goal – to better represent the untapped potential of the Balkan world music scene, and to offer an international network to those artists, young managers and festival organizers or club programming directors who are ready to join the global scene. The project is supported by Creative Europe, the cultural framework programme of the European Union. The unprecedented budget of 4 Million Euros has already greatly contributed to the emergence of Balkan world music – 3 artists from the first round were featured at WOMEX 20 and 21, the largest world music expo and showcase in Europe, participants completed training sessions, shot new portfolios and were mentored by the best professionals, and many of them completed traineeships at illustrious world music hubs in Berlin, Budapest, and more.

© Eric van Nieuwland

„The Balkans have various world music artists representing a high quality, but they fail to reach the international stages due to the missing funding programmes, international relations and supportive music infrastructure and competencies” – says András Lelkes Founder and CEO of Hangvető, the leader of the MOST consortium and organizer of the Budapest Ritmo world music showcase festival.

Apply now to MOST Music!

The second call for applications is open between November 10, 2021 and December 12, 2021, which is the deadline for filling in the application form and sending all required materials.

We are currently looking for:

• Bands, orchestras and musicians from 9 target countries (see below) who play world music and are ready for international audiences. See the call HERE.
• Young, junior cultural or music managers, bookers, or other world music professionals from the 9 target countries, who share the goal to join the international world music scene. See the call HERE.
• Festivals and clubs or event venues that have an existing world music programming. Please note that in this pillar we are also looking for applicants from any country that is a part of the Creative Europe programme, not only the 9 target countries! See the call HERE.

The project’s scope in the Balkan region includes the following countries: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Romania and Bulgaria.

© Eric van Nieuwland

A New Wave of Balkan Music

„MOST wants world music fans to know: there is a new wave of Balkan world music that looks beyond the all so familiar sounds, with refreshing new ways to present the exciting musical heritage the region has to offer’’ 

– says Balázs Weyer, Head of Music of MOST.

After the first year of the project, even in spite of a COVID-ridden 2020 MOST Music produced a Selection CD in collaboration with Songlines magazine, featuring the first round of participants in the Balkan Music Export pillar and will produce 2 more CDs in the upcoming years. MOST Music represented its participants at WOMEX with great feedback – Oratnitza and the Almir Meskovic & Daniel Lazar Duo were featured in the 2020 showcase, NAKED from Serbia played at WOMEX 21, while others found a booking agent, got radio play requests, and more. Online training for the Balkan Music Export and Management Training, as well as the Urban Policies pillars have closed with raving success, and young managers have completed traineeships at important European world music hubs such as Piranha Arts or Hangvető.

Application

Please apply between November 10, 2021 and December 12, 2021. Participants will be selected by the consortium’s board of jury members. Selected applicants will be notified by the end of 2021. In the meantime, subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date.

Open calls and more information

info@mostmusic.eu
https://mostmusic.eu
https://facebook.com/mostmusiceu